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12:37
Love in the time of AIDS
» Black Looks Pumla Dineo Gqola discusses promiscuity and culture and asks what impact these have on the spread of AIDS in South Africa which has 40% of the worlds infected population. Sex with multiple partners is so entrenched in Southern Africa that it is a religion, a basic moral philosophy for most people here. It is often simply [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Love in the time of AIDS", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2009/02/love_in_the_time_of_aids.html" });
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6:40
On Femmes
» Kenya Imagine Rachel Gichinga is exasperated by the predictability of the Q&A at The Kenya We Want conference. -
Institutionalism and its Limits
» Kenya Imagine Daniel Waweru argues that institutions alone will not save us.
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5:22
Poem: When to Trust Politicians
» Kenyanpoet WHEN TO TRUST POLITICIANS
©Bildad Mathenge
When every pressing matter gets done at hand
And corruption worse than prostitution
Gets eschewed
And a well-regulated arrogance
Gets shrouded, deep down the cold earth
Then give a politician your confidence and trust
When pragmatic gets formulated danger policies
And our words-clarion calls by their ears
Not violated
And dishonest and dubious aspersions cast not
And stop they hiding behind the parliamentary privileges
And wriggled out of their covering cocoons
Then give a politician your confidence and trust
When the hunger-stricken and the sick are for catered
And a breathe for humanity gets breathed
And your interests, mine gets placed
Before his or hers
Then give a politician your confidence and trust
When committed constitutional reviews are embarked on
And our lives for a roller coaster taken not
And the Rule of law respected
And the laws that enjoin these miscreants promulgated are
And the absolute powerful & Guilty executed are
At the international Tribunal
Then give a politician your confidence and trust!
Bildad Mathenge aged 19yrs is a poet who recently finished his O level studies. He started writing poems during his high school days. His poems revolve around issues in our society such as politics, corruption, love, Rape and sundry. He intends his poems to criticize evils that have plagued our society. You can reach him on bilmathenge(at)gmail.com
He was quite inspired by the story on yours truly in the local dailies and will soon be starting his own blog to share more of his poetry.
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4:43
Why Kibaki And Raila Must Go
» You Missed This What is ODM? What is PNU? What do those strange abbreviations mean?
There was a time in the 10th parliament when things were pretty predictable. If ODM voted in a certain direction, you would be sure that PNU would vote in the opposite direction. So if the two principals wanted something done they rallied their troops and then came to parliament and everybody would obediently rubber stamp what they wanted done. That is how the crucial Anan bills were passed in record time.
Now all that is ancient history. The only place where people are still divided along those old party lines is here in Kumekucha. Go out and talk to the Kenyan people on the ground and you will quickly discover that "ODM" and "PNU" are very very dirty words these days.
Yesterday the 10th parliament embrassed the two principals by defeating a constitutional amendment bill in their faces, whose intention was to establish a local tribunal to try post-election violence suspects. Some MPs have been heard saying that Raila and Kibaki should prepare themselves for more nasty surprises and embarassments. This was only kionjo.
I hardly ever agree with what Mutula Kilonzo says. However what he said yesterday I agree with 1000%. He said that Kibaki and Raila should now resign because their troops have lost all confidence in them. Mutula was being kind because what we saw in parliament was a clear message from the people of Kenya. They are tired of impunity and they want justice. They want big names behind bars for their crimes and they do not not trust the local justice system. And most of all they are tired of the grand coalition government.
I would go further and say that a government as divided as the grand coalition government is at the moment is a serious threat to our national security. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for us to approach the threats against our country with a divided multi-agenda-laden cabinet? What kind of things to these guys get involved in individually in private to further their own selfish motives?
If Kibaki and Raila really loved mama Kenya, they would heed Mutula's call and resign right away, paving way for us to look for a way to hold general elections ASAP.
Fresh elections are the only way we can avert disaster which hangs like a dark and persistent cloud over our country.
Let me end by saying that the way the politics in Kenya is shaping up, anything can happen and the 10th parlaiment looks like the parliament most likely to move a successful vote of no confidence in this government and thus send themselves back to the electorate for a fresh mandate. Naturally any MP who appends their name on such a motion would guarantee their place in the 11th parliament.
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Lest you take comments in Kumekucha too seriously;
What I said 2 weeks ago;
Excerpts;
It is sad reading through the comments in this blog daily where well-educated Kenyans are still thinking in terms of PNU and ODM (and the gods they worship, namely Kibaki and Raila) when the vast majority of Kenyans have already moved on. More so when it looks like even most legislators have moved away from those tribal groupings as was seen yesterday in parliament...
Of great interest are the new political re-alignments that are now emerging and more interestingly the motivation behind them...
Many other legislators who had nothing to do with the post-election troubles have a lot to gain by blocking the bill and causing all the suspects to end up at the Hague. It will obviously eliminate a lot of the competition for their grand ambitions.
I doubt whether most of the political class conecerned slept well last night. You see the game plan was to have a local tribunal and then intimidate all the witnesses from coming to give evidence (already a number of key Waki witnesses have received death threats). Now it seems that the Hague beckons for sure...
What a Kumekucha commentator said about the post;
Anonymous said...
Chris, Please come back from fairy land. The bill will be passed and there will be a local tribunal.Read the full post Here
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Kumekucha
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1:10
Equity leads the Kenyan Economy
» bankelele The first Bank (as usual) out with the 2008 profits is Equity Bank with the usual staggering financial results (PDF) for 2008 with 101% growth in profits and 103% in loans.
But a closer look at the numbers show some more subdued stats that may indicate an economic slowdown, and which may be confirmed when other banks (especially Barclays and KCB) release their year-end results in the next two months.
- Equity’s growth in assets is 45% from a year ago, but 6% in Q3 and 3% in Q4
- Equity’s deposits are 55% up from a year ago, but this breaks down to 23% in Q2, 10% in Q3 and 6% in Q4
- Equity’s’ loans are up 87%, but the 41% increase in Q2, was followed by 17% in Q3 and 2% in Q4
- Expansion costs - income up 98% from a year ago, but expenses have kept track – up 97% from a year ago (in 2007, the spread was 73% and 52% in 06/07)
- Factor in Safaricom IPO lending (interest and fees) estimated at– and Q2 income was 3x higher than in any of the other two quarters
- Cross-checking against the 2007 election and disruption in economic activity, in 4Q of 2007, Equity had growth of 18% in deposits and 33% in loans with 54% in profits in same quarter, with in 1Q of 2008, had 8% deposit and 11% in loans, rates which outpace 4Q of 2008
Shareholders will be happy with the Kshs. 3/= dividend, but the 1 for 10 share split, will add a huge float of shares to an overflowing NSE pool.
Bank opportunities
most from the daily papers this week
- African Development Bank is currently accepting applications for its Young Professionals Program . Apply online by 20/2
- Barclays seeking debt recovery agents – auctioneers, re-possessors, valuers and investigators. D/L is 28/2
- Commercial Bank of Africa: senior manager finance. Apply through KPMG by 25/2
- Family Bank Bancassurance Manager. D/L for online applicatiosn is 6/3
- IFC Investment officer (private equity & investment funds division) Africa, based in Nairobi. D/L is 27/2
